CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 SAIGON 00293 080447Z
21
ACTION EA-14
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-07 H-03 INR-10 L-03
NSAE-00 NSC-10 PA-04 RSC-01 PRS-01 SPC-03 SS-20
USIA-15 OMB-01 SR-02 ORM-03 AID-20 EUR-25 NEA-10
DRC-01 /154 W
--------------------- 038695
R 080347Z JAN 74
FM AMEMBASSY SAIGON
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0564
AMCONSUUL CAN THO
AMCONSUL BIEN HOA
AMCONSUL NHA TRANG
USDEL JEC PARIS
CINCPAC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SAIGON 00293
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: SREF, PINT, PINS, VS
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DANANG REFUGEE SITUATION
CINCPAC FOR POLAD
FOLLOWING TELEGRAM RECEIVED FROM AMCONSUL DANANG JAN 7,
H/W REPEATED FOR YOUR INFO. QTE
C O N F I D E N T I A L DANANG 0010
NOFORN
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: SREF, PINT, PINS, VS
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON DANANG REFUGEE SITUATION
REF: A. DANANG 1264
B. DANANG 1271
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 SAIGON 00293 080447Z
1. SUMMARY: THERE HAS BEEN NO REPEAT NO FURTHER DISTURBANCE
AT ANY OF THE DANANG AREA REFUGEE CAMPS SINCE THE DECEMBER 28
DEMONSTRATION AT CAMP BOOKS REPORTED REF B. THE MAYOR OF
DANANG BELIEVES THE SITUATION IN THE CAMPS IS UNDER CONTROL
AND ANTICIPATES NO FURTHER DISTURBANCES. RICE DUE REFUGEES
THROUGH THE MONTH OF DECEMBER HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO ALL
30 REFUGEE CAMPS IN THE DANANG AREA EXCEPT TO THOSE REFUGEES
STRICKEN FROM THE ROLLS BY THE NATIONAL CADRE CENSUS. THE
SPECIAL COMMITTEE FORMED BY THE MAYOR IS AT WORK INVESTIGATING
COMPLAINTS FROM THOSE REMOVED FROM THE REFUGEE LISTS. THE
RESETTLEMENT FROM CAMP BOOKS OF SOME OF THE QUWRG TRI REFUGEES
SOUTH TO BINH TUY, POSTPONED FROM THE ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED
DATE OF DECEMBER 29, RESUMED DECEMBER 30 AND HAS PROCEEDED
SMOOTHLY. WHILE ADDITIONAL PROTESTS FROM UNREINSTATED GHOSTS
REMAIN POSSIBLE, CONGEN BELIEVES THEY WOULD BE MINOR AND,
FURTHER, THAT THE MAYOR HAS THE RESOURCES AND TACT TO
CONTINUE TO CONTAIN WITHOUT VIOLENCE ANY FUTURE DEMONSTRA-
TIONS THATMIGHT DEVELOP. END SUMMARY.
2. IN A JANUARY 4 CONVERSATION WITH A CONGEN REPRESENTA-
TIVE, DANANG MAYOR COL. DAO TRONG TUONG SAID THAT THE
SITUATION IN THE DANANG AREA REFUGEE CAMPS IS UNDER CONTROL.
HE DOES NOT ANTICIPATE ANY FURTHER DISTURBANCES.
3. ACCORDING TO MAYOR TUONG, THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE MENTIONED
IN PARAGRAPH 3 OF REF B BEGA *TS DELIBERATIONS JANUARY 2,
REVIEWING COMPLAINTS SUBM*TTED BY INDIVIDUALS STRICKEN FROM
THE REFUGEE ROLLS BY THE RECENT NATIONAL CADRE CENSUS.
LTC. VU DUC CHINH, AN MR-1 REPRESENTATIVE OF THE INTER-
MINISTERIAL COUNCIL FOR REGUGEE RELIEF, WHO WAS PLACED AT THE
MAYOR'S DISPOSAL BY DR. PHAN QUANG DAN DECEMBER 22, IS CURRENTLY
ACTING AS THE MAYOR'S REPRESENTATIVE ON THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE,
OF WHICH THE MAYOR IS CHAIRMAN. OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
ARE THE DANANG CITY SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICE CHIEF, WHO HAS AN
OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR PURCHASE AND FOOD DISTRIBUTION FOR
ALL OF THE DANANG AREA REFUGEE CAMPS, AND TEN OTHER DANANG
CITY SERVICE CHIEFS. (SOME QUANG TRI PROVINCE OFFICIALS HAVE
CRITICIZED THE COMMITTEE'S LACK OF QUANG TRI OFFICIALDOM
AMONG ITS MEMBERSHIP.)
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 SAIGON 00293 080447Z
4. THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE, WHICH WILL RESOLVE COMPLAINTS
LOCALLY, WAS AUTHORIZED BY DR. PHAN QUANG DAN ON HIS
DECEMBER 22 VISIT TO DANANG, IN RESPONSE TO THE
DANANG MAYOR'S RECOMMENDATION THAT LOCAL RATHER THAN
SAIGON COMPLAINT RESOLUTION WAS PREFERABLE AND WOULD
MORE EXPEDITIOUSLY SETTLE GRIEVANCES. THE MAYOR IMPLIED
JAN 4 THAT THE COMMITTEE WOULD FIND IT DIFFICULT TO RESOLVE
THE APPROXIMATELY 5000 COMPLAINTS REGISTERED BY JANUARY 10
AS HE HAD HOPED INITIALLY.
5. MEANWHILE, ON DECEMBER 30 348 FAMILIES (1,735 PEOPLE)
LEFT CAMP BOOKS FOR BINH TUY. (THEIR DEPARTURE HAD BEEN
DELAYED SLIGHTLY BECAUSE OF THE DECEMBER 28 DEMONSTRATION.)
THESE RESETTLERS WERE PAID ALL REFUGEE ALLOWANCES DUE THEM
THROUGH DECEMBER. ON JANUARY 6 AN ADDITIONAL 345 FAMILIES
(1,805) PEOPLE) LEFT FOR BINH TUY.
6. COMMENT: WHILE IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE
WILL COMPLETE ITS REVIEW OF COMPLAINTS QUICKLY ENOUGH TO
SATISFY ALL COMPLAINANTS, THE COMMITTEE IS IN PLACE AND
IS FUNCTIONING, THE CAMPS HAVE BEEN QUIET SINCE THE DECEMBER
28 DEMONSTRATION, AND THE MAYOR SEEMS TO HAVE THE SITUATION
UNDER CONTROL. THE POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE PROTESTS CANNOT
BE COMPLETELY DISCOUNTED, HOWEVER, PARTICULARLY AS THE
COMMITTEE IS UNLIKELY TO RULE IN FAVOR OF THE "GHOST" REFUGEE
IN 100 PERCENT OF ITS DECISIONS. IN THE CONGEN VIEW, HOWEVER,
ANY FUTURE DEMONSTRATIONS WOULD MOST LIKELY BE MINOR IN
NATURE. FURTHERMORE, THE CONGEN BELIEVES THAT THE MAYOR HAS
THE TACT AND THE RESOURCES TO CONTINUE TO CONTAIN WITHOUT
VIOLENCE ANY PROTESTS WHICH MIGHT DEVELOP. END COMMENT.
TULL UNQTE
MARTIN
CONFIDENTIAL
NNN